If you happened to watch NBC tonight 7:00 CDT they aired a magic show using the Candid Camera MO. Any comments?

I thought it was quite impossible and a little over the hill weird with the bugs out of the mouth, screwdriver thru arm and man in elevator. All designed to gross people out which to me is not magic. I found it full of Harry Potter Magic like the card changing bit at a casino table, I was looking for the blue white light from someone's wand.

THEM is basicly TV STAGE MAGIC done out in the real world settings. With a few exceptions.

Extremely disapointed but I got a few Laughs.

It started to get old after the first 10 mins ... every major effect was so overly set up ,alot of editing and seemed more like a clever and elaborate practical joke then "Magic"

Also the whole "Im one of THEM, you know THEM, IM one of THEM." got old.

Them wasn't that a movie about giant ants/////
I did enjoy the effect the moviable head, thought that was cool.
Full Effect you are not one of THEM you are part of circle 52 I am one of THEM didn't you see me on the other side of the window as Charlie C penatrated the glass..

vinny

My wife, kids, and I watched the last 45 minutes. For the most part I liked it. Seemed sort of like watching an Andrew Mayne video. The hidden camera angle did get a little tiresome. Maybe better as a 30 minute show. But, what the heck, it was a new magic show on TV without doves and big box illusions. The young magicians also had a very likable and fun quality to them.

Joe Monti has been doing the movable head thing for some time.... I think it is a great bit.

While the magicians were likeable and fun, I agree with the practical joke element. Extrememly non-magical. Where is the wonder or awe that a presentation used to have? Maybe I'm just too old fashion, but I'd like to see a magic series where the spectators reacted with more astonishment than screams.

This was just OK,,,i don't think magic plays well in this practical joke context......but the movable head bit looked really good.....

I didn't know it was going to be on so I watched Star Trek Enterprise on UPN instead. I would have watched it If I knew it was going to be on.

IMO you made the better choice. Personally, I think it was a piece of nonsense, to put it politely. The "hidden cameras" seemed to move amongst the crowd at will and had perfect lighting outdoors as well as indoors - ummmm.

ANYONE care to comment on the snap card changes in the first bit in a "casino"????

What bothered me the most about it was the spectators' reactions when they found out it was "magic." I was surprised to see them feel better about everything. Only in a couple of cases did they continue to question what they saw. In a way it might have been better if they had never known it was setup. Then they'd be telling that story for years to come.

-Christian

Of course it would have been way better if they had never known it was set up - that's why the whole reason the concept was made - to create myster and wonder. The "THEM" idea started two years ago as an underground (still underground) site with essays and missions called the Magic Anarchist. We've been doing magic like that a while, and apparently the idea caught on with someone. Unfortuantely they didn't get the whole reason behind it. Christian hit the nail on the head. Do something they will remember for the rest of their lives, and something more than just anothermagic trick. If any of you want to see what "THEM" was suppose to be, check out http://www.themagicanarchist.com, or see my post in Food for thought.

Thanks,

Michael

I'm glad My t.v. is not working. Sounds like I would have not liked this show at all.

I watched it and thought it was pretty good, but I have to agree that it's not like most magic, it's set up as a prank. And as for the cameras having perfect lighting, it might be because most often the victims are told they're on a show called "THEM" that's a blind date show (for when the bugs came out of his mouth) or they're supposed to interveiw people for a tv series (when the guys head moved/"fell off").
I also agree with Christian, it would be better if they didn't say that they were one of THEM (although it was pretty funny when noone knew what one of THEM was), but some of those people were going to call the authorities. Anyway, I've said enough about THEM, do you guys know how many topics have been posted about this? Cheers!

There was something about THEM that I didn't like but I can't put my finger on it. It seemed too set-up, less impromptu, gotcha on camera magic. I agree with the thoughts above about the explanation after the effect giving the spectators the out of THEM being magicians and the repetitious THEM line; it took away from the experience and reduced and in some cases eliminated the astonishment.

The show seemed more practical joke than magic but there were some good bits peppered in the show.

Have to say Mr. Blaine's TV specials were more astonishing, impromptu and enjoyable than THEM.

One cool thing I saw on the show and intend to use was the version of Karate Coin done with a sugar packet. A Karate Sugar Packet would be nice and impromptu.

They had the THEM guy throwing sugar packets at random people in an outdoor diner. Then he did the Karate Coin thing when the 'victim' retaliated by throwing a sugar packet at the THEM guy.

I thought their setup for it was a little silly, but the concept was good. Throwing sugar packets at random people in a diner is a good way to get punched in the nose.

Exactly. The original concept was SUPPOSED to be about the moment after astonishment, before THEM took it and totally warped the idea. In this show, I saw complete astonishment, only to be quickly broken by a rational explanation. That's not very magical if you ask me.

Magic anarchy was all about astonishment, mystery, and wonder. THEM totally ruined it in everything they did with just a few words.

Who cares about this show!! What I want to know is who was that chick in the blind date skit!!?

My sister, a total laymen, watched the show and completely loved it....

S.Segal

The guy getting sugar packets thrown at him was a member of THEM. It was one of those scripted scenes with fellow THEM members, like the Hummer Card and the Floating Cigarrette scene.

It was a good TV show, but not a good magic show. Great effects, but it was far from magical.